The week in charts

Ups and downs

EUROPE shows itself as an ailing force in this week's infographics. Its GDP is falling, its foreign direct investment inflows are two-thirds lower than before the financial crisis. Yet declining fortunes are seen elsewhere too. India's economic growth is slipping and China's stock market has been tumbling since May. European mobile operators have suffered plummeting revenue for years. Thankfully, there are also pockets of growth. The BBC's revenue is inching upwards, as are British exports to Italy and Brazil; its trade to China is soaring. Many Latin American currencies are stronger against the dollar. Also higher? Taxes, alas. A contact sheet of this week's infographics is available to download here.

Readers' comments

The chart titled 'Risk Free?' - is it not telling us there are multiple sticks of dynamite (with lit-fuses) embedded on the world's balance sheets? (And that's only sovereign debt - all dated paper is equally vulnerable. Gotta wonder if even Houdini ....)